Hydroelectric reservoir levels at a 12-year high

Furnas reservoir, in Minas Gerais. Photo: ByDroneVideos/Shutterstock

In its latest report, the ONS, Brazil’s national grid operator, informed regulators that water reservoirs used for power generation are set to reach their highest levels since 2011. Reservoirs in the Southeast/Center-West systems, which produce the lion’s share of Brazil’s hydroelectric power, are at 85 percent capacity.

The situation is in stark contrast to the 2021 water crisis — when reservoirs were at historically low levels after massive droughts hit the country.

The crisis led the Brazilian Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) to charge higher electricity tariffs and the federal government to increase the use of thermal power plants, which are more polluting and costly. The government also created a program to encourage people to save electricity at home.

Aneel announced on Friday that electricity tariffs will remain low in April due to high water levels in reservoirs. Hydroelectric power accounts for more than 56 percent of Brazil’s energy mix.

In a statement, Aneel said it is “very likely” that the low tariffs will remain throughout 2023, with the high levels of the reservoirs bringing “an optimistic outlook” for energy supply during the dry season, which lasts from around May to November in the country’s most populous regions.